Who Wrote The Book of Love?
by TheGoofyCat
Summary: (Spin-off to Unofficial Hatred) Follow The Cobras on their adventures in the early 60's. Billy finds the girl of his dreams, Fuzzy gets married, Vince gets more than he bargained for, and Jack still can't get a girl. Ace has big plans for his future, but can he finally admit to what he truly wants? Oh, I wonder, wonder...who wrote the book of love!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but names not recognised.

**Authors Note: **Well here is the spin-off to the 'Official' series, I was going to wait till My Baby was finished but I can't control myself so I've decided I'll be writing this and that one at the same time, my other stories will have to wait because I'm giving all my attention to Rebecca and Ace and of course Billy who this story is about.

So here's the gist of this story, Billy's thoughts are in _italics_ and we follow him on his journey to finding his one true- love *creamy sigh* who's it going to be? We also follow Ace and his time without Rebecca *cries* and the rest of the cobras, why because I love writing about them, they are just so fun to write about, I love writing about mean people, seriously if I knew Rebecca in real life I don't think I'd like her so much, I'm going to miss her in this story and the amount of frowns and glares she does and that furrowed brow that we read so much about! I kinda wish Eyeball was in this, hmm how can I place him in this, any ideas? lol.

Enjoy!

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_**Who Wrote The Book of Love?**_  
_**TheGoofyCat**_

Billy Tessio didn't exactly know how long he had been trying to get Connie Palermo to agree to sleep with him, he just knew it was a long time.

He had tried everything, from giving her flowers to telling her he didn't need her any more, but none of it had worked. She was frigged as a rock, high-strung and hard work. He had never done this much work as the work he was doing on New Years Eve, now the day started out as any other, he woke up, helped his old man paint the shed, ate his breakfast, spat in his brothers. Walked all the way to the convenience store to get his Ma a loaf of bread, greased his jet black hair, had a shave, watched his brother Vern dig for his pennies, boarded up the hole to get underneath the porch with a plank of wood, trapping Vern.

So as he borrowed his mother's car, which had seen many a better day, and drove the route to Connie's nice little place in Castle View, he wondered if tonight was going to be the night.

_Better fucking be! _

He got out of the car and straightened his tie and then walked to the door and rung the doorbell.

"Hello, Mrs. Palermo." He greeted nicely, a cheeky smile spread his face. "These are for you." He handed over to her a bunch of flowers he had swiped from his mother's vase.

"Oh, they are beautiful, William." Colette Palermo gushed.

"Just like your daughter, ma'am." He responded, if his friends had been there they would have ranked him out so bad, but he didn't care he was on a mission. He stepped onto the clean cream carpet, making sure he wiped his feet on the mat beforehand, he couldn't risk the chance of ruining the carpet and in return ruining his chances.

"I'll go get her for you." Colette beamed, hurrying up the stairs, he stared at her ass as she made her way up and his true smile showed, he was interrupted by a cough.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" An old voice was heard from the corner and out stepped Colin Palermo.

_To rock her world. _

Pipe smoke filled the air and Billy wondered why they were so prissy with the cream carpet and not prissy with the smoke stains on the ceiling, he could do with a smoke.

"Good intentions, Sir." He lied.

"Oh, Daddy." Connie's voice interrupted them as she placed her soft hands onto her fathers shoulders.

"Now don't be out late, Con-Con." Colin told her and gave Billy a warning look.

_This won't take long, fifteen minutes..twenty tops._

They said their goodbyes to her parents and got into his mother's beat up Mustang.

"So where are we going?" Connie asked as she sat shoulders straight and straightened out her poodle skirt.

"I thought we could take a drive to the creek, it's got a beautiful view." He replied and she looked at him warily. "Besides if we go anywhere else, everyone will be smoking and I know you don't like it." He smiled.

_Uh! _

"I haven't smoked in two days."

_Two minutes more like! I could really do with one._

"Oh, Billy? Really?" She smiled and he nodded his head enthusiastically.

They drove in silence as they reached the creek and he parked the car over looking the whole town. The street lights brightening up the sky, they listened to the radio as Billy sneakily put his right hand round her shoulders, she leaned in towards him, placing her blonde hair on his shoulders, the smell of her hair smelt great and he had to have her, he pulled her close.

"Billy, No. You know I don't like it." She protested as he kissed her neck.

"Connie, don't you love me?" He asked.

"I do, but-"

"But what? That's what people do when they love each other. How can I love you if you won't love me?" He asked. "I'll take you home. Happy New Year, Connie." He started the car but she grabbed his arm stopping him instantly. He looked at her as she unbuttoned her cardigan and took it off.

"Will you love me forever?" She asked in between kisses.

"Of course, Con-con." He replied, his lips trailing down her neck.

_*Ten Minutes_ Later*

"Oh, Billy." Connie sighed hugging him tightly.

"Yeah." He replied as he took out a cigarette and lit it. She jolted away from him.

"But you said?" She exclaimed horrified.

"Yeah I say a lot of things." He smirked the smoke exhaling from his mouth as the tears filled her eyes and she rushed out of the car grabbing her cardigan on the way out.

Billy leaned back and took a well deserved drag.

_Fina-Fucking-lly!_

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You know the drill...Review. Next chapter is the chapter of Rebecca leaving and Ace's reaction...dun dun duh!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but names not recognised.

**Authors Note: **Here is chapter two woop, been a busy writing bee and have a new story up it's a lost boys story, check it out if you like ;) anyway onto this italics are still Billy's thoughts. Big thank you to **Chailyn Kamaria, WithLoveForever, Izout, JustAnotherGoofball **and **CastleRockGirl **for reviewing.

Enjoy! And review for an update on My Baby Shot Me Down (next chapter is written)

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Billy woke up the next morning, a grin on his face and a satisfied feeling in his crotch.

_Happy New Year, Billy Boy Jnr!_

He shifted his body from his bed, when his mother opened the door. He covered his body.

_Doesn't the bitch knock?_

"Have you seen your brother?" His mother asked him, worry spread across her face. He shrugged his shoulders.

_Probably off with his dweebs._

"I'm worried. That silly little boy, do you think he got trapped in the well again? I haven't seen him since yesterday." She told him.

_Shit!_

He sprung out the room, he had been so pre-occupied with Connie he had forgotten all about little Vern, pushing his mother away as he shut the door, he couldn't let her in there she'd find his dirty magazines hidden under his mattress, he rushed down the stairs and opened the front door. Jumping over the fence of the Tessio's front porch. He moved the plank of wood he had covered the hole with and a very distressed Vern crawled out. His black hair dust and dirt ridden.

"Billy? You left me in there all night," His thirteen year old brother told him coughing up half a lung. "There were bugs and this huge spider that was staring at me the whole time, sincerely. I'm telling mom."

"No you're not." Billy replied, grabbing his shoulders before pulling his hands back away, he didn't want to get covered with dirt. Billy spat on the floor as his brother glared up a him.

"And why not?" Vern glared.

"Because, do you remember the time in the well?" He asked.

About a year ago Billy had thought of the best revenge on his brother, he was still angry about Ray Brower, Charlie Hogan and him had snatched Vern while he was sleeping and carried him down to the old abandoned farm a couple of yards away from the house and they put Vern down into it, by the evening time when Vern had missed his supper, his parents had been worried, they had called the police and a search team was sent out, after what had happened to Ray Brower the county had been sent into a frenzy, not wanting to find another dead body they had to search all over.

Billy and Charlie panicked and rushed to Vern's aid, they were only going to keep him in for a night but they couldn't risk anyone finding him and Vern spilling the beans. Billy managed to keep him quiet by telling Vern that he had been listening to the radio one night and the fuzz were trying to track down who had placed the anonymous call about Ray Brower. Vern, who had grown up watching Dragnet, believed him and kept quiet.

After Billy managed to keep Vern quiet, he made his way over to Charlie Hogan's house, Charlie had phoned him up the other day and told him he was leaving town on New Years Day and Billy was going to see him off.

_I'm gonna miss that cock-knocker._

"So where you off to again?" He asked Charlie, who was in the middle of packing up his stuff in the back of his mothers car. He stubbed the cigarette he had been smoking on the floor and kicked it away.

"Staying with my Uncle for a while and then see where that leads me." Charlie replied as he finished placing the last box in the boot of the car.

"I still can't believe you're going, man." He told him, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, well I'm sick of this place. Sick of you." Charlie joked, Billy noticed Charlie's eyes widen at the sight of someone and he turned round to see who it was, he grinned when he saw Rebecca Chambers walk over to them.

_She's not going to believe me when I tell her Connie put out! Finally I get to tell everyone about my conquest after all the years of listening to everyone else's._

"Guess what?" He asked his stance straight with pride. "I did it! Me and Connie finally did it. I told you." He grinned smugly.

"Good for you, Billy." She laughed as she threw something to the floor, he looked at it, it was a suitcase. He frowned slightly, tensing up.

"You going somewhere, Rebecca?" He asked as Charlie made his way closer to her and he stood staring at the suitcase on the floor as well, Rebecca ignored his question as she turned to Charlie.

"That offer still stand, Hogan?" She asked and Charlie responded with a sheepish grin and nodded his head.

_What in the hell is going on?_

"What offer? What's going on?" He scowled, looking at Rebecca and then to Charlie.

"Shut up." Charlie and Rebecca both told him in unison.

_Jesus! Calm down. Was just a question._

He watched as she took something out of her pocket and placed it into his hands. "Can you give these to him?"

_Holy Shit! That's the keys to the Ford, why she giving me them? She's leaving?_

"Rebecca, you can't leave, he'll kill you, think he'll even kill me if I tell him." He whined as she placed her hand over his mouth and she gave him a small hug, he gave her a strange look, that was the first time she had ever given him any kind of affection.

"It was nice knowing you, Billy-Boy." Was all she replied as he stood there in shock.

_It was nice knowing me too, I'm dead meat, Ace is going to have a conniption fit._

"But?" He told her, he knew she was stubborn and that if she had made her mind up that she was leaving she wouldn't change her mind. He couldn't believe it, He watched as she put the suitcase in the boot of the car and hoped into the passenger side.

_Rebecca Chambers is leaving town with Charlie Hogan? What the fuck is happening here? I'm too tired for this shit._

"Guess this is goodbye, man." Charlie told him, pulling him into a manly hug.

_Faggot!_

"Yeah. Charlie, be careful, man. I know she's our friend, but she's Ace Merrill's property. You sure you can trust her?" He warned him but Charlie nodded his head. "Just be careful, pal." He warned again as he watched Charlie slam the boot of his mother's car shut and jumped into the driving seat, he sighed as he watched the car drive off.

_Well I'll be dammed.  
_

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"What you talking about, Billy? What do you mean she's gone?" Fuzzy gawked as they sat in their regular booth in Irby's all the boys were there except Ace was with them, they all sat around shocked to the core.

"She just upped and left, she gave me these," Billy shrugged as he threw the car keys onto the table, they sat and stared at the shiny metal key not any of them making a sound.

"What are we going to tell Ace?" Jack asked biting his bottom lip, this was sure going to be a catastrophe.

"Tell me what?" Ace questioned, they all shot their heads towards him, none of them had heard him walk in. "Jesus! I come from a hard days work to find you lot gaping at me with your mouths fucking wide open, what's the big deal?" He shot them a look before frowning. "What is it?" He gave him a look telling them to spill the beans.

"Listen, Ace. Uh-" Billy went to tell him, but Jack interrupted, it was only fair the news came from his best friend.

"She's gone, man." Jack told him, dragging the car keys across the table towards Ace. "Rebecca's dodged town." He leaned back in case Ace grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and demanded more answers, but he didn't.

He grabbed the keys off the table and threw them in the air and caught them, he played around with the keys before he placed them in his back pocket and walked out of Irby's, they sat and stared in awe as he disappeared, not one of them wanting to follow him but Jack decided someone had too.

He ran out of the bar and soon found Ace in his Cadillac about to start it up, he opened the car door and got in.

"What you doing, Ace?" Jack asked.

"Just gonna get my car back." He replied, they drove there in silence as Jack watched Ace glare into the road, the glare enough to burn through metal.

They pulled up to the Chambers' house and Ace slammed the door shut as he got out and then calmly made his way up the stony path, he lit a cigarette before knocking on the door.

And was greeted by Chris, he smirked the cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"What do you want?" Chris glared up at him.

"Now that's no way to speak to higher authority now, is it? Christopher?" Ace grinned. "Now tell me where your sister is."

"She not with you?" Chris questioned.

"You're a smart kid, Chambers. I wouldn't be asking that if she was with me now, would I?" Ace's eyes evilly gleamed as he puffed the cigarette smoke into Chris' face and the fourteen year old coughed.

"I dunno, man." Chris crossed his arms. "She hasn't done her chores, she's in for a hiding."

Chris let out a small yell as Ace grabbed him by his throat and dragged him to the floor. "Tell me where she went." Ace spat into his ear, the burning cigarette close to his left eye, the smoke making Chris' eye water.

"I don't know," Chris whimpered and a grunt of agony came from him as Ace crushed his body onto Chris' back. "The last time I saw her was this morning when I gave her the mail and she told me she was going out." Chris told him the truth, Ace loosened his grip and threw the cigarette away. "You tell her I'll be waiting for her when she gets back."

"She's not coming back, man." Jack called out, he was now out of the car and had been watching and listening the entire time. "She left with Charlie."

"Now why didn't you tell me that? I was this close to burning this little shits eye out." He turned to Jack and he kicked Chris in the rib one last time. And he walked closer to Jack who shrugged, Ace placed the keys to the Ford in Jack's hands and Jack shot him a questionable look.

"Drive to the creek, I'll meet you there." Ace ordered as he stepped into his car.

"The creek? But why?" Jack asked. A million questions going through his pea brain.

"Just do it." Ace spat as the engine roared, like the rage that was hidden in his body.


	3. Chapter 3

"Just do it." He spat as the engine roared, like the rage that was inside his body. He drove fast, the fastest he had ever driven, all the while his blue eyes never left the road straight in front of him.

_Fucking whore!_

She had left! She had left him and she wasn't the only one. His hands gripped the steering wheel as he turned to the entrance of the creek, he pulled up shortly, the tyres screeching on the floor, he slammed the door as his boots hit the gravel.

He opened the boot of the car, checking if the item was still inside, he grinned when he saw it.

Five minutes later, Jack Mudgett appeared in Ace's old '52 Ford.

_Asshole, always drives slow!_

"What took you so long?" Ace asked as he walked calmly over to his friend.

"I dunno," Jack shrugged.

And then something happened, that shocked Jack to the core.

"I'M A FUCKING IDIOT!" Ace roared, his hands slammed down on the bonnet of the Ford, Jack gulped and took a step back as he watched Ace Merrill, kick the car he had once loved with all his might.

"It's alright, man. She'll forgive you eventually, she'll come back." He stated as he watched Ace run his hands threw his hair.

_Forgive me? I should be forgiving her, but the bitch won't get a second chance._

"What the hell you talking about, Mudge?" Ace spat, glaring at him. "Forgive me? What the fuck have I done wrong?"

"I-I-I.." Stuttered Jack's response.

"I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FUCKING TWO GRAND I GAVE TO MY BROTHER." He yelled, kicking his feet at the car door, leaving a dent immediately.

"You what?" Jack asked his mouth two the floor.

Ace chuckled and Jack didn't know what the hell he was going to do next.

"I gave him the two grand I had stashed, so he'd leave us alone." Ace started to breath deeper. "I saved Rebecca's ass, he was this close to hauling her to the station and what does the fucking bitch do?"

"Why would you do that?" Jack gasped.

"I must've been off my head to think it was a good idea." Ace seethed. "FUCK!"

"Ace! Calm down, Man." Jack placed a hand on Ace's shoulder but then quickly snatched it back unsure of what he'd do.

"I am fucking calm." He spat back, his knuckles clenched.

"You're not."

_Does he want me to punch the living shit out of him?_

"Two. Thousand. Dollars, Asshole. Would you be calm?" Ace glared.

"No, I guess not." Jack gulped. "So that's what happened to Andrew? He took the money and left?"

"Jackpot!" Ace grinned sarcastically. "Now what the fuck am I going to do?"

"You'll get the money back, all those _jobs_." Jack muttered.

"What? Are you an idiot? They're onto us, he's letting us away with it this time, Asshole." Ace slammed his fist on the car again. "The fuzz know it was us, but he's sorted it. You wanna spend the rest of your life banged up inside?"

_I fucking don't!_

"Well what did you need the money for anyway?" Jack grimaced, as he thought about all the hard work they had done to stash that cash.

"To buy a fucking pony." Ace shot him a look, Jack hunched down. "You know what it was for."

"Jesus, Man." Jack exclaimed. "What a fucking day!"

"Tell me about it." Ace spat the toothpick he had in his mouth to the ground.

"So what you going to do about Charlie?" Jack asked, part of him was worried about his other friend, another part of him felt betrayed. "You gonna go after them? I'm sure we can get the information out of his Ma."

"I ain't wasting another second thinking about Hogan, Mudgett."

_Not worth my fucking time._

"And Rebecca?"

"The bitch is gone, good riddance. Think of all the pussy I'll get, now that I'm a free man." Ace grinned, but Jack knew he didn't really care about that, he knew that all he cared about was Rebecca. "Can't believe she fucking left."

"Ace, uh?" Came out of Jack's mouth.

"Yeah?" He looked at him blankly.

"C'mon, man. You really that surprised she left?" Jack asked as he scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "You hadn't exactly been nice to her the whole time."

"Since when do you care so much? Thought you always hated her."

"I do, well I dunno, she always kinda bugged me but you didn't treat her that great." Jack replied with a small shrug

"Listen, Asshole. I ain't got time for this discussion. As far as I'm concerned she's dead to me." Ace simply stated, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

_And you are too, if you don't shut up._

"Alright." Jack breathed out.

"Now get that canister that's sitting in my boot." He ordered, Jack gave him a look of doubt and he shot him a look of anger, Jack knew that look all too well, so he went over to Ace's car and pulled out the small gas canister.

"What do you want with it, man?" He questioned as Ace snatched it out of his hands, he began to walk round his old car and tipped the dangerous fluid that was inside on the front seat. Jack's mouth dropped to the floor with his cigarette. "What the fuck? Ace. No! Holy shit! What are you doing?"

"Burning this mother fucker to the ground." Ace seethed as he took one last drag from his cigarette and then flicked it, coolly, into the front seat of the convertible and flames engulfed the car

His eyes lit up with every flame that burned away in the car, a smug smirk on his face, he had to burn it to he ground, it had too much history, history that needed to be banished, it reminded him too much of her.

He vowed to himself that he would never let another woman this close to his heart, they weren't worth the hassle, they weren't worth the bother. She was just a cheap slut who had broken his trust. If she ever came back to this town, there would be hell to pay.

"Holy shit!" Jack cried, watching the beautiful car burn to the ground. "I can't believe you, man."

"Well believe it now, fucker." Ace spat, watching every flame engulf the car, as the leather seats burned away, the crackling noise of the fire going through both of their ears. "And if anyone asks, someone stole it and torched it, you dig? We had nothing to do with this." He lit a cigarette and the smoke joined the smoke coming from the car.

"Okay." Jack sighed, his eyes started to sting and he wiped them. "Where you going?" He tilted his head as he watched Ace get into his Cadillac

"Anywhere." Ace smirked as he started the engine.

"Wait? You're just leaving me? Here?" Jack frowned, Ace gave him a devilish smirk as he drove off.

He drove for eight hours straight, his eyes never leaving the road, her face never leaving his thoughts, he could still hear the sound of her voice, he had to see her.

He walked confidently down the street, a slow but threatening pace, people crossed the streets, people turned their heads, he smirked at the effect he had on them, no matter where he went he could still turn heads. His head held high and a smile on his face, his eyes burned bright.

He didn't know how he managed to track her down, but he had.

He knocked on the door.

The door opened soon after.

He smirked as she opened the door to him.

She looked at him, her eyes grew wide.

"John? Is that you?" Valerie Merrill, greeted the son she hadn't seen in nine years...

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Ahhhhhhhh! Did you expect that? Did you think it was Rebecca he had tracked down? Anyway this chapter was inspired by One Republics Love Runs Out take a listen, when I listen to that song all I see is Ace Merrill walking confidently down the street on a mission hehe review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: **Hey, an update again? I'm kinda on a mini roll here lol anyway I'm determined to get this and Officially Tied finished asap. Again sorry for not updating this in nearly a year, wow I suck. But I'm going to try and update twice a week one for this and one for Officially Tied too, will get this story finished before OT though.

Thank you to **Izout, Chailyn Kamaria, CastleRockGirl, sturmfrei, WithLoveForever.**

Hope you enjoy, let me know in a review.

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**Chapter 4**

"John? Is that you?" She stood behind the screen door, eyes wide at the sight of her grown up son standing right before her. He gave her a nod as a response, his grin broke slightly as he looked straight at her, there was a long pause before she spoke again, she took a heavy breath before pushing the screen door open. "Come in." She uncertainly invited him inside.

He ran his left hand through his hair as he stepped inside his boots hitting the clean beige carpet, he could sense that it unsettled her, after all who liked mud on their carpets, if it wasn't such an awkward situation he would have laughed.

She led him into the living room and he took a look around, family portraits hung on the wall and of course not one of them featured him, or Andrew for that matter. The sight of her house was a whole different world to what he grew up in, he should have felt proud that she had gotten out, away from that toxic monster she used to call her husband, but he wasn't, not even a single part of him felt pride. He had told himself for nine years that he didn't feel anything, that she was dead to him but it was all a lie.

She placed a small blanket on the family couch and motioned for him to sit, "Take a seat," She told him, and that's when he felt it, anger. Who did she think she was? It was obvious that she thought of him as dirt.

He gave her a blank stare as he looked back down at the blanket, before deciding he deserved better, he sat himself on the single couch facing her. This was the man-of-the-house chair and he was sure it would get his authority across.

She quickly realized what she had done. "Sorry," She coughed. "I don't like anyone sitting on the couch without a blanket. I have a thing about dirt." She tried to give him a light hearted smile.

"Well in that case," He scoffed, stretching his legs out and placing them on the coffee table in front of him. "I'll make myself at home."

She looked at his boots with fear, as she sat herself down on the couch making sure she was sitting on the blanket.

Ace leaned over a little, "Don't worry, I'm clean. It's not as if you'll need a tetanus or anything." He told her as if he were whispering, but in his usual style he was heard loud and clear.

She gulped slightly as she felt her legs shake. "Can I get you something to drink?" She offered.

"A beer will do." He leaned back in the chair both of his arms laying on both arm rests as if he were at home. Alcohol would be the only thing he would accept off of her.

"I'm sorry but we don't drink alcohol in this house." He would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. "Ginger-beer is the closet thing we have to beer."

"Well then I'd rather gulp down air." He gave her a nasty smile. "But don't worry I always bring my own." He pulled out a small whiskey flask and presented it to her.

She coughed again, the tension between them building. "What are you doing here, John?" She asked, closing her eyes for a moment as if she were thinking of a painful memory.

He decided to be as blunt as possible, "I want answers." He placed the flask on the table and took a cigarette that sat from behind his ear and placed it between his lips, after he took out a match from his front pocket he leaned a little forward and flicked the match on the wooden coffee table, the match struck in a click of a finger and he took small puffs to light the cigarette. One look at his mothers face and he spoke with the cigarette still in his mouth, his words grumbled, "I guess there's no cigarettes in this house either."

"Well, no," She sighed. "But go ahead."

"C'mon, Ma," He spat viciously, "I seem to remember you smoking a carton a day. And don't think I didn't notice the empty vodka bottles hidden underneath the floorboards in the bathroom," He pointed at her with his cigarette, a little bit of ash fell from the tip and he knew that would shake her up even more, a grin erupted from his face. "Because let's face it, the only liquor _Daddy Junior_ could drink was whiskey."

She blinked back tears, not because of the reminder of her past sins, the drinking, the smoking, the abusive husband, but because of who she was looking at, and the man he had become. And it was all her fault. Oh how different his life would have been if she had taken him with her, and didn't he know it.

"You said you want answers," She sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"Why did you leave?" He asked bluntly, but that wasn't the question he wanted to ask, but he had pride and he wasn't going to come across as a pussy if he asked her why she left him.

"You know why, John." She shook her head in protest. "I don't think I need to tell you." A single strand of blonde hair fell from her up-do and she tucked it behind her ear.

"I think you owe it to me, after all you did leave in such a hurry you didn't even shut the front door on your way out." His blue eyes looking into her brown eyes. That was the only thing he didn't get from her, her eyes, ever since he was young he had been told how much he looked like his mother, apart from his eyes, he had Junior's cold blue eyes. And Andrew? Well the resemblance to him and Ace was uncanny, you could tell they were brothers almost straight away, but some used to say that if you mixed Junior and Valerie's faces together out would pop Andrew Merrill. It was no surprise that Andrew was the favored child between the Merrill family, all Ace had was the blue eyes and that would never be good enough, he couldn't even roll his tongue like the rest of them.

"The day I left your father," She took a sip out of the glass of water that sat on the table. "Was the day he put a knife to my throat and threatened to kill me." A tear fell from her left eye as she remembered, she chuckled slightly. "I mean he always told me he was going to kill me, maybe once or twice a week, but this time he meant it, and I can still remember the darkness in his eyes, the way he looked at me." She wiped the tear off with a crisp clean tissue. "He told me to leave, to get out of Oregon and if I took either you or Andrew with me he would find me."

Ace stared at her, this was not the story his father had told him. _"Get used to it, Johnny, she got sick of this house and everyone in it."_ His fathers words rang through his ears.

"Your Grandmother always used to tell me I fell in love too quickly, that I rushed it all with Junior, and that there was someone better out there for me, real love. My mother was always right, you know?" Ace rolled his eyes at her words, he hadn't driven all the way over here for her to talk to him about true love, as far as he was concerned love didn't exist. "But I didn't ask for it to happen, I didn't mean for it to get that far."

He sat up slightly, he had no clue what she was talking about. "What are you talking about?"

"Your father? He-" She hesitated slightly. "He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" He spat, the cigarette that he held between his fingers burned to his finger tips and burnt him slightly he quickly flicked it away, her eyes widened at the site of the ash on the floor, but he couldn't care less about her precious carpet. He spoke loudly this time and included a curse word. "What the fuck didn't he tell me?"

"Maybe it's best if you didn't know." Valerie got up from her seat, almost instantly Ace was standing up, as she made her way across the room he followed her, she tried to turn her back to him, but he reached out and grabbed her, she jumped slightly.

He might have held most of the population of Castle Rock's kids arms tightly, but not his mothers, there was a certain softness in his touch. "Tell me?"

"Eleven years ago I was a mess. Like you said, I drank a bottle of vodka nearly every other day, and it made me paranoid. I thought your father was having an affair. God, I must have asked him fifteen times a day,"

"I can remember your arguments."

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "And Junior, being the way he is decided he would go along with it, told me he was seeing a married woman down in Motton."

"Sylvie." Her name rolled out of his tongue, surprising himself and Valerie.

"Except there was no Sylvie, she didn't exist." She watched as his facial expression turned into a confused frown. "Your father never touched another woman when he was with me."

"Then why did you leave?" Ace grunted. "You just let me blame him for all these years? Thinking he was porking some slut." She flinched at his cold words.

"Just because he didn't have an affair didn't make him a good person, John. You should know that, you saw the bruises, the cuts, after all you had them yourself. The beatings, the hatred." She shivered at the thought of Junior Merrill's touch. "You don't understand how he made me feel, I was terrified of him, the smallest thing could set him off, he was controlling, he had to know who I was with and where I was. He pushed me away." She wavered a little before deciding it was best if she just told her son the truth after all these years. "So I fell in love with another man,"

Ace let go of his grip of his mother as he looked at her, he was at loss for words.

"And we had an affair, do you remember a man named David Grant?" She asked him.

"The plumber?" He squinted as he remembered, his mouth formed an 'O' when he realized that David Grant was no plumber. Ace let out a laugh.

"We fell in love, and I got pregnant, and we both wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, your father didn't take the news very well and that's when he put the knife at my throat, so I left, for the sake of my babies." Her eyes alerted him to a photo of two smiling young girls both in matching outfits and pigtails the photo was enough to make Ace want to vomit. "Twins, your sisters, they'll be nine next week."

"No offence but I really don't give a fuck. After all these years thinking Junior was the bad guy it turns out you're the whore." He felt a stinging feeling on his cheek and he realized she had slapped him. "You're going to regret that." He spat.

"Or what, John? I'm your mother remember," She glared at him. "I see Junior's making sure you know all the tricks of his trade. You're just like him"

"I'm nothing like him," He told her as he felt his heart start racing and a certain urge to punch a wall.

"Oh! But you are! You come into my house and threaten me? Just like the way Andrew came in here, all you Merrill's are the same and I'm glad I got out. So how much money are you wanting, John?" This was another quirk he had inherited from his mother the ability to go from nice to nasty in under thirty seconds.

"Unlike Andrew, I don't want your money. Maybe I just wanted to see you," He paused for a second before adding. "Maybe I missed you, and maybe you missed me too." He wanted to shoot himself as soon as the words spilled out, but he had to let it out. "But now I know what a cold-hearted bitch you are, I guess I'm more like you then Junior, huh?" He glared at her before stepping away. "I'll just let myself out." He walked to the front door opened it and then pushed through the screen door, knowing fully well that this would be the last time he ever stepped foot in this place and that was the last time he would ever see his mother.

As he was lighting up another cigarette he heard her call his name, deciding that this was the last time he ever see her face he turned to face her.

She caught up to him quickly. "I know you're angry, but I didn't mean it when I said you were just like him, you might have his eyes, John, but when I look into yours I don't see that darkness."

* * *

Man, that was intense for me. I wrote this in one sitting so forgive me for any typos/grammar. Review to let me know what you think, reviews also make me update faster. hint hint. What did you think of Mother Merrill? Does her situation sound a little like Rebecca's or what? Maybe Rebecca and Ace will have a different outcome though. So this story is going to feature more of Ace's father too, as well as other cobra situations.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Well hello there it's been a while! I am so sorry for the delay in updating I've just had a lot on my plate recently, I've been busy at work and my father passed away in January this year.  
Anyway I really am sorry for neglecting fan fiction, and in regards to Officially Tied an update will be coming very soon wanted to get this chapter out first before starting on OT.

Big thank you to: **ItsMeeeDenise **and **CastleRockGirl** for reviewing the last chapter.

Hope you enjoy this chapter, I just love writing Ace/Jack friendship lol

**Chapter 5**

"You sure we shouldn't be worrying about Ace?" Billy mumbled to Jack as they both sat in the corner booth at Irby's Billiards gulping down a bottle of beer each, "I mean it's been a month since he dodged town, man. You don't think he's off looking for Charlie and Rebecca do you?" He didn't give Jack the time to answer, almost knocking the beer out of Jack's hand as Billy swung his arm out and grabbed his friend's arm. "You didn't tell him she was with Charlie in Idaho did ya? Jesus!"

"No I didn't. Do you think I'm stupid or what?" Jack spat at him as he shrugged Billy's arm off his left bicep. "Now you better keep ya voice down before anyone hears ya big mouth." He looked over his shoulder nervously, though he shouldn't have been worried there were only five pairs of ears in the joint and that was including themselves. "Last thing I'm going to do is tell Ace where she is, alright? The son of a bitch is better off without 'er."

"Guess you're right." Billy nodded in agreement.

"'Course I'm right. That bitch better hope she never comes back to Castle Rock, because if she does?" Jack leaned in closer to his pal. "I ain't going to her funeral." He chuckled before downing the rest of his beer and slamming it on the table, and at that moment a loud slam echoed through the bar and for a second or two Jack thought he had caused it.

All attention was at the front door, apart from Jack's, who's attention was still at the bottle of his empty beer, could it really have caused that loud noise? Billy quickly nudged him getting his attention.

"Wha-" Jack started to respond but lost his words and ended up mumbling something unrecognizable as he looked to the door.

All five pairs of eyes were on Pop Merrill as he dragged a very drunk Ace Merrill into the bar, Ace's left arm was swung around Pop's shoulder and his shoes dragged along the ground. Jack shot up in an instant, he pushed past Billy and made his way over to Pop.

"Jesus Christ!" He swore as he took one look at Ace.

"Yeah that's about right!" Pop spat as he shoved Ace off of him and pushed him to the bar. Ace chuckled in response and leaned over the bar and grabbed a half-empty bottle of scotch, he took out some cash and threw it at the bartender with a smirk, and then proceeded to start drinking from the bottle.

"What happened to him?" Jack sighed. This was going to be the start of an interesting night.

"How the hell would I know? Asshole thinks he can go missing for a month and then turn up to work in this state! You better tell him when he sobers up he ain't welcome back." By this stage Pop Merrill was red in the face with anger.

"Ahh c'mon! He's your nephew!" Jack tried to reason with him.

"Yeah! Now why doesn't that surprise me? He's just like my brother. Boy, the apple doesn't fall far from the-"

"Back off, old man. Go home and fuck your dog!" Ace told him as he watched Pop from the mirror at the bar, "And by dog, I mean your dog, not your wife." He chuckled to himself as he placed an unlit cigarette in his mouth and then attempted to light it.

Jack quickly placed his hands on Pop's chest making sure he didn't do something he would regret. "Look the asshole just needs to go home and sober up, then he'll be back to work like nothing's happened."

"Fine! But this is his last chance. I've given that boy way too many chances!" Pop pointed a finger angrily at Ace's back. Before trying to make his way out of the bar. "Jesus! It's lunch time and he's already on hard liquor. He shouldn't be drinking." He muttered under his breath.

"Yeah! Well if he shouldn't be drinking it was a real smart move bringing him to a _bar!_" Jack scoffed sarcastically.

"You think you're a real wise-guy don't you? Well let me tell you something _wise-guy_, let him stick up for himself, because if it was the other way around he'd have no problem watching you burn." Jack glared at him as he watched Pop make his way out. "Here's his car keys, take him home and pour a bucket of iced water over his head, always worked for Junior." He threw Ace's car keys at him, and with that he was gone, slamming his door on the way out just as loud as it was on his way in.

Jack muttered a swear-word and made his way over to Ace, he sat himself down at the stool beside him. This time Billy joined him, the two friends glanced at each-other both wondering what to say.

Jack spoke first. "Where have you been, Ace?"

"Around!" Ace replied as he exhaled smoke out of his nose from the cigarette he had finally managed to light. "You!" He called to the bartender. "Shot of tequila! Skip the lime and the salt."

"Yeah, I'll take one too." Jack sighed, if it was going to be a long day he figured he would need it.

The two guys looked at Billy, who threw his hands in the air. "Not me. I gotta get going." He jumped off the stool and went to collect his jacket from his and Jack's booth. Once he returned he placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and patted it as if to say good luck. "I'll see ya's around." He took one glance at Ace from behind his shoulder and then was out of the place.

The two sat there in silence, Jack stared at his shot glass that was filled to the brim, while Ace's sat upside down empty. "You gonna stare at it all day or am I gonna have to drink it for ya?" Ace questioned, as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Alright, Alright." Jack sighed as he quickly downed the shot in one, he shuddered as he felt it burn down his throat, and for a moment it felt like it was going to burn its way up again. "So where have you really been?"

"Already told ya."

"You were gone a month, Ace. You really expect me to believe you've been _around_?" Jack raised his eyebrows at him.

"Nope! But I expect you to just take it." He stubbed his cigarette out into Jack's empty shot glass. "I got a full crate of Miller at mine. Let's go!" And just as Jack thought he was sobering up Ace stumbled out of his stool. "I'm taking this though." He grabbed the now three-quarters empty bottle of scotch and left the building.

Jack gulped as he followed him, Ace's car keys in his front pocket, "I'm driving, where's the car?"

"How the fuck would I know?" Ace chuckled as he took a swig from the scotch. "Pop had it last. The Asshole probably has it ripped apart by now."

Jack shook his head in frustration and then stopped dead in his tracks. "Yeah, from the looks of it Pop really was the last one to drive it," Jack sarcastically sighed as he looked over at Ace's Cadillac that was mounted over the sidewalk and into Mrs. Hawks prize winning rose bushes. "What the fuck, man? Ace, this really isn't like you."

"You know what, Mudge? I really couldn't give a fuck!" Ace spat as he pulled a cigarette out from behind his ear and lit it, this time with no trouble.

**One hour later**

Three bottles of Miller beer later and Jack was really starting to see the funnier side of all this, but it still felt strange. This wasn't like Ace, when it came to drinking and getting drunk, well put it this way Ace was the smart one he never got drunk enough to do something stupid, like run over a few flowers, or stumble of an old bar stool, or forget where he parked his car, that was until today where he had done all three of those things and probably more. Though there was one thing that Ace still managed to keep intact no matter how drunk he would get- his feelings, well until today.

Jack watched him as he took the last drop of the bottle of scotch, and wondered in awe how he was still alive, let alone how he was still awake and hadn't passed out yet.

"Jesus! Ace, you got the drinking range of a- fuck- I don't even know." He told him as he puffed away at a cigarette. "I've been sipping my beers and I think I'm beat. How do you do it?"

"Yeah, well you gotta learn from the best, and have a lot of practice," Ace told him, and then he let out a pathetic laugh. "I had my first beer when I was eight, and my first shot of neat whiskey when I was twelve."

"Yeah, right." Jack chuckled in disbelief. "Bullshit!"

"It's true," Ace held his hands up as if to surrender. "Yeah, I can see why you wouldn't believe me. I mean what kind of parent forces drink down their son's throat at that age?"

"A fucked up one, I guess." Jack muttered with a shrug and looked down at the floor.

"Used to think my dad was the fucked up one. Not anymore," Ace chuckled spitefully. "Turns out my mom was the most fucked up one out of them both." Jack's eyes shot up at the mention of Ace's mother, and he had to blink excessively to make sure he wasn't dreaming, Ace's mom was not usually a topic of discussion.

"Well uh-" Jack spluttered out with no idea what he was to say.

"Turns out she was fucking some other guy, got pregnant and ditched town." He said calmly, it was the first time he had said it out loud, and it had came out calmer then he had expected it too.

"Jesus!" Was all Jack could respond with. "That is fucked up." He quickly finished his beer and stood up from his seat to look outside the kitchen window, his eyes darted to Junior Merrill was passed out on the back porch laying on the porch swing. "I feel sorry for your Pa."

Ace chuckled, "Don't be! The guy's still one screw loose away from Togus." He followed Jack and made his way to one of the kitchen cupboards and pulled out one glass and a near empty bottle of whiskey.

"Take it easy, man. I think you've had enough for the year, let alone the day!" Jack warned him.

"Relax! This is not for me, it's for you." Ace poured the whiskey until it's last drop and pushed the glass on the counter over to Jack. He picked it up and took a swig just as Ace told him, "You know I found out where she went and I went to see her."

*WHOOSH* And whiskey mixed with saliva splashed onto the window. Jack started to cough as he choked on the little bit of whiskey still left in his mouth. Ace gave him a look as if he were a stranger. As soon as Jack regained his breath, "Ice! This needs ice!" He told him coolly as he walked over to Ace's refrigerator. "You went to see her? But what did you do-"

"Think you need to calm down, Mudge. It ain't your problem." Ace interrupted him and he was met with a confused face.

"Well did you see Charlie?"

"Charlie? What the fuck you talking about?"

"You went to see Reb-" Jack stopped himself before he finished his sentence, he scratched at his head, he really was confused.

"I found my mom, you dip-shit." Ace said with a hint of amusement.

"Oh!" Jack replied. "I dunno! We all kind of figured you went to find Rebe-, well you know who I mean." He finally pulled open the refrigerator door.

"You know you can say her name," Ace told him as he popped open a bottle of beer for himself.

Jack ignored him as he opened the tiny freezer compartment inside, "So what did you say to your-your mom," Jack stuttered as he pulled out a wad of cash from the freezer, he looked at Ace with a frozen expression on his face.

"I also found my brother." Ace smirked, he took out a fresh toothpick from the draw and placed it in his mouth and started to chew.

"You found Andrew? You got your money back? All of it? How'd you manage to get it back?" Jack smirked with him.

"You'll never know."

"You didn't kill him did ya?"

"Like I said you'll never know," Ace laughed smugly as he took a gulp from his beer.

"You know what I'll never know is why you had all that money in the first place? Yeah, I know how you got it, but why didn't you just spend it?"

"Ain't gonna repeat myself again, Mudge."

* * *

Hope you liked it, I really enjoy writing Ace and Jack. This will probably be one of the last chapters focusing on Ace, the rest will be about the other Cobras, of course with a little dash of Ace here and there. You will also find out why ace had all that money and what he was going to do with it coming up soon in Officially Tied.

Review?


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